For purposes of storage and decoration, building owners and dwellers frequently wish to hang implements on empty wall space. Such implements may be in the form of shelves, pictures, diplomas or other interior design accessories. Fasteners used to attach these implements to a wall surface desirably will be able to support potentially heavy loads, without damage to the wall structure, while maintaining an aesthetic appearance. Unfortunately, the size or bulk of a fastener generally is proportional to the given load it can bear. Weight particularly is a limiting factor when hanging shelves, as fasteners must support the weight of the shelf in addition to any items placed thereon.
Often the desired location of wall implements will change within a relatively short period of time. This is especially true in cases of apartment dwellings where high turnover among tenants is expected. Even in residential areas, owners frequently move. Those who stay in one place for a long period of time invariably wish to redecorate and in the process reposition or relocate existing wall implements.
To use common wall implement fasteners often requires making a substantial size hole in the wall. Wing-type fasteners include a bolt with two "wing" extrusions attached which extend normal to the length of the bolt. Once inserted through a wall, the bolt is fastened to hold the extrusions in tension against the back of the wall, supporting the weight of an implement affixed to the wall's forward surface. While the extruding wings may be folded together before being inserted through an opening in the wall, the widest portion of the fastener still may be three times the diameter of the bolt alone. To remove the fastener from the wall, the bolt is withdrawn and the wing portion falls down irretrievably into the wall cavity. Once such a fastener has been removed, a sizable hole in the wall remains.
Another type of fastener is that of a screw and an anchor. A hole is drilled in the wall surface and the anchor is inserted. The anchor has a forward face which abuts the forward surface of the wall when the anchor is inserted. A screw is inserted within the anchor causing the anchor at the back surface of the wall to expand. A wall implement is then supported by the screw. To remove the fastener, the screw and the anchor are both removed. While no pieces of the fastener must be replaced once removed from the wall as with the wing-type fasteners, a hole still remains in the wall whose size is proportional to the size of the fastener. Generally, the greater the weight required to be supported, the greater the size of the fastener and the resulting hole.
In addition to leaving an unsightly hole when removed, most fasteners may cause structural damage to the wall if an excessive load is placed on them. Placing a heavy implement on a fastener can cause the drywall around the hole to collapse or tear out. This is particularly true where the drywall is of relatively thin conventional thickness. It is readily apparent that the problems associated with the use of these types of fasteners are compounded by repeated repositioning of wall implements.